Get a Gladiator guys

Yeah. Who’d want a vehicle with a solid front axle and removable doors and top?

 

Only on the trail

 

Equally comfortable at the mall!

 

As much as I love 40s I think it would be like my 1st gen. i.e. never take the top off

Another "fun vehicle accessory" that isn't really made "better" with removable top/doors.

 

The only Gladiator I would buy

 

You mean the first gen 4Runner? With the solid front axle and the removable top?



(Im just playing devil’s advocate here. I prefer a closed vehicle when off-road because I don’t relish crunching dust between my teeth at the end iPod the day.)

 

Yes exactly. I had one and never took the top off. And I don't have anything against straight axles.

 

The op reminds me of that dude lastbreed who got banned from here didn’t he buy a jeep as well, they both have the same mannerisms in the way they write

 

When the gladiator was first hinted at I was hoping for something more like the JK8 kit in the picture, the kit based off people wanting the old J10 if memory serves?

 

Stellantis is going bankrupt and there is a good reason for it. They raised prices most and have well-deserved reputation for the least reliable products that are not adequately fixed under warranty. Additionally, Jeep is trading on nostalgia, they are in the same death spiral as Harley-Davidson.

If after all of that you still want a new Jeep or Gladiator, then wait for bankruptcy sales sometime mid 2025.

 

Yeah, a little more waiting makes sense. Thing are gonna get a lot worse for Stellantis lol.

 

Sad thing is, currently the only thing from Jeep I want is either a 2 door wrangler or the jk8 version of the gladiator I posted earlier, I would prefer a 5th gen 2 door 4Runner, but that’s a long ago pipe dream never to be sadly.

 

2 Door 4Runner YES! or Bring back the FJ!!! Loved the 2008 & 2012 I owned

 

I already spent 50k for a Stellantis JLUR filled with galvanic corrosion. Hard fucking pass on ever dealing with that bullshit again. Different bullshit with my Raptor - never do Ford again either. The .Gov should let them all fold next time they ask for a billion dollar bailout.

 

Told my wife not to buy one in 2021. At 10,000 miles her 3.6L V6 head gaskets were toast and engine ripped apart. At 35,000 miles the transmission was gone

 

Lemon

 

Still love the FJ. Sadly they get beat to death around my area so no good versions come up for sale.

 

I’ve had a couple of Wrangler Rubicons. The 3.6 is a solid motor and mated with the ZF 8 speed, it’s a great drivetrain. The 3.6, as others have said, is bulletproof mechanically and the ZF 8 speed is one of the best transmissions on the market. As a factory built off road platform, there’s nothing that can compare with a Rubicon. The TRD Pros are very capable, but they’re limited by the IFS, lack of a front locker and slightly taller gearing. Love my 4R and all my Toyotas, but Jeep is King in more demanding off road situations if that’s where you spend your time.

And also agree that, financially speaking, buying at $50K and putting $10K+ in upgrades on a Gladiator gets you a complete off road beast that’ll do things and go places in severe environments that a Tacoma TRD Pro or 4R TRD Pro can’t. Still love my Limited tho, as I don’t live in those severe conditions, I’m mostly in deep snow and mud off road and snow on road… where the limited excels.

 

I think the prices on the FJ's are going to go even higher now

 

Sadly you aren’t wrong. My coworker has been holding onto his for this exact reason. He thinks it’s gonna be a goldmine.

 

i looked at some before I bought my 4R and found them to be a bit awkward sizewise.... Their wheelbase is only 3.9 inches shorter than a 5th gen 4Runner(105.9 vs 109.8 inches) with massive blind spots, and there is an artificial price floor with all the teenage girls wanting them as a first "Cute Ute".

I remember when they were new Toyota trickled them out trying to keep the prices high like what they did with the TRD Pros 4Rs.

 

Blind spots were WAY over rated! Had two & commuted in both. Avg. 22-24k miles a yr on both & W/Towing 19.5 Boat's and/or a Utility trailer W/ATV onboard. No issues if you're NOT a Moron. Mirrors are your friends & again very little blind spots IF you know where & how to actually drive & LOOK!!

 

It all depends on your usage. Livable highway manners for us on trips are important and the 4Runner isn’t the best nor the worst but I bet it is much better than the Gladiator.

 

I'd buy a Gladiator now. The prices can't go much lower, and they've laid off a bunch of JT workers. The supply of JT will go down more than prices will at this point.

 

I will take this over any Jeep ALL DAY!

 

The comments are akin to, on road or off?

The 4Runner is a great car that can go off road. The Jeep is a great off road vehicle that can go on road. Disparaging comments about one are usually relative to the merits of the other.

 

Agreed. They don’t directly compete with one another. They’re not designed to do so.

 

I thought jeeps are trash. Didn’t know that has changed. Never considered one but went with just what’s been known about a brand. Don’t particularly have any affinity for the brand. And certainly their trucks aren’t what I would buy if I had 50K to burn and wanted a truck.

 

Smart comment. Fanboys just don't get it. Jeep Fanboys need to take a 4Runner on the trail and see how decent it is off-road, and Toyota Fanboys need to drive a Jeep on the highway and see how decent it is on the road for what it is. These modern Jeeps are not a YJ